Pipe-cleaning mixture or compound.



252. COMPOSITIONS.

Cross Reference STATES PATENT OFFICE Emmi Annual, or i rr'rsnunon, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIPE-CLEANING MIXTURE on comotmn. 1,129,056. Specification of Letters Patent- Patented Feb. 23, 1915. I No Drawing. Application filed June 22, 1914. Serial iio. 846,572. I

To all euhom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY ANnAL'rznn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny -My invention relates to means for removing obstructions and sediment or collections of solids from waste or drainage pipes, condults, sewers and sl'mllar apparatus used in conducting or storing water and other fiuids.-

One object of my invention isto provide A an improved mixture or compound of novel composition and adapted when mixed with water to react upon and dissolve, disintegrate and liquefy collections of paper, rags, cellulose, vegetable matter, hair, leather, animal fats and similar carbonaceous bodies in contact therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mixture or compound by the use of which accumulations of solid paraflinvin oil wells and oil storage tanks are liquefied and in the use of which the paraffin is liquefied and the oil mechanically or chemically com: bined with the paraffin is recovered.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mixture or compound of novel composition which is adapted for use in thawing frozen water pipes and by the use 8 liquefy carbonaceous matter.

of which the necessity of heating frozen pipes externally or by means of a flame is avoided and overcome.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a new and usefulmixture or compound which when mixed with -water will react and generate heat up to or above a temperature of 150 degrees centigrade.

Still further objectsof my invention will become apparent as the invention is more fully described hereinafter and is specificallv pointed out. in the appended claims.

The invention consists broadly in a mixture or compound formed of aluminum, a hydroxid of an alkali metal, a highly oxygenated sulfur salt and a fluorid.

The invention further consists in a novel mixture of chemicals which when combined and mixed with water will react upon one another so as to evolve great heat and form a solution powerful enough to dissolve and In the preparation of my novel compound metallic aluminum, sod1um or potassium hydroxid, potassium or ,s'odium persulfate and potassium hydrogen 'fluorid preferably are used in about the following proportions by weight: metallic aluminum (preferably finely divided) 0.5 percent. or more, sodium or potasslum hydroxld 81.7 per cent., potas- The above equation and a comparison of i the molecular weights of the proportion of chemicals used therein will show that a great excess of the hydroxid is takcn up. This is advantageous and necessary for the reason that should only the theoretical quantity of the alkali be employed, the action of the persulfate on the alkali will reduce the quantity of the alkali present to such an extent that the ensuing chemical reaction of the residual alkali upon the aluminum would be lessened or reduced to substantially nil and as the exothermic heat generated by the action of the alkali upon the aluminum is a part of the reaction desired, the presence of the very large excess of alkali, such as will befound in the above composition, is necessary and of great advantage. In addition to'the thermic heat induced by the interaction of the aluminum with the alkali another and more highly efiioient thermic reaction results between the double compound of the fluorid-with the persulfate.

In preparing my improved compound for practical use the aluminum, preferably in a finely d vided state) is mixed with the hydroxid. The persulfate and the fluorid are packaged separately from each other fled are emptied into the metal pipe, tank,

252. COMPOSITIONS.

oil well or other conduit or container which is to be cleaned. In emptying the packaged materials into such pipe the chemicals will be automatically mixed. The necessary volume of water is then poured upon the mixture or compound, whereupon a reac'- tion is started which instantaneously generates great heat. The resulting reaction is as follows: The action of the water in dissolving the hydroxid generates heat and this heat is intensified to a very great extent in dissolving the fluorid. The heated and now alkaline water simultaneously attacks the aluminum and persulfate, the action of the alkaline water on the aluminum generating hydrogen and its action on the persulfate forming sulfuric acid and generating oxygen. The nascent oxygen generated combines with the nascent hydrogen generated and forms water, so that the formation of dangerous explosive gases, as will be the case in the employment of the aluminum and the alkalialone as the reaction ends. is avoided and prevented and hot water vapor and steam is the only resulting effect. In further explanation of the reaction occurring it should be stated that the sulfuric acid resulting from the decomposition of the persulfate, acts upon the fiuorid so as to decompose the fiuorid into its elements and form hydrofluoric acid, this reaction causing an accession of heat and the hydrofluoric acid becoming dissolved in and combining with the water and becoming partially vaporized with the vapor ensuing from the heated water.

As a solution of persulfate *in water or a solution of hydrofluoric acid in water, even when cold, will attack and after a certain given time. will entirely rot and disintegrate cellulose, fibrous or carbonaceous matter, it is therefore quite plain that the disintegration of such materials will occur in much less time, when the action is augmented by the heat produced in the chemical reaction and the time will be still fur-' my improved compound the sodium or potassium aluminate formed in the reaction is converted into a sulfate, and the sulfate, being very soluble, is quickly dissolved in the water present and remains fluid, so that instead of having a substance which hardens when cooled, such as sodium or potassium Cross Reference (a) 2Al+6NaOH=2Na A1O +3H, (a) 2 Aluminum-F6 sodium hydroxid=2 sodium a1uminate+3 hydrogen, (1)) 3K S O +3H O= 3K SO +3H SO,+3.O

(Ii) 3 Potassium persulfate+3 water: 3 potassium sulfate+3 sulfuric I acid+3 oxygen.

(0) 3H +3.O=3H O (c) 3 Hydrogen+3 oxygen=3 water. (J) 3H SO,+3KHF 3H F -l-3KHSO, (d) 3 Sulfuric acid+3 potassium hydrogen fluorid=3 hydrofluoric acid+3 potassium hydrogen sulfate.

(e) 2 Aluminum-H5 sodium hydroxid+3 potassium persulfate+3 potassium hydrogen fluorid= sodium aluminate-l-B potassium sulfate+3 potassium hydrogen sulfate-4 3 hydrofluoric acid.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. -By the use of my improved composition fibrous and carbonaceous matters are readily dissolved and the difliculties heretofore experienced in removing obstructions from pipes and conduits are easily and quickly overcome.

The materials forming mv improved compound can be easily and cheaply obtained.

By the use of my improved compound suflicient heat is evolved to raise the temperature of frozen pipes (by frozen pipes is meant frozen water or other liquid conveyed into and through said pipes), considerably above that necessary to melt the ice formed therein and thereby remove the obstructing ice without mechanical'labor.

Variations in the chemicals employed in forming my improved compound may be made without departing from my invention. The hvdroxids of the chemicalsused may be replaced by the oxids or peroxids thereof. The results obtained with the above described chemicals are also obtainable by using sodium or potassium pyro-sulfate (N 'a. .S,O,) and also crystals of pyro-sulfuric acid (H S O,) or so called solid sulfuric acid in conjunction with the other chemicals,

by rearrangement of the molecular antities of the chemicals. The addition 0 a small amount (one per cent. or more) of trioxy methylene or any other isomer of formaldehyde in solid form will supply-a disin-' metallic aluminum, a hydroxid of an alkali metal, an oxygenated sulfur salt forming sulfuric acid when mixed with water, and a fluorid within the pipe to be cleaned and then adding water to promote and maintain the ensuing reaction and thereby disintegrate and liquefy the obstruction.

.2. The method-of removing obstructions from pipes which consists in combining metallic aluminum, a hydroxid of an alkali metal, a fluorid and an oxygenated sulfur salt forming sulfuric acid when mixed with water, within the pipe to be cleaned and then adding water to promote and maintain the ensuing 'reaction and thereby disintegrate and liquefy the obstruction.

3. The method of removing obstructions from pipes which consists in combining a mixture of metallic aluminum and sodium or potassium hydroxid with a mixture of fluorid of a fixed alkali and an oxy enated sulfur salt forming sulfuric acid when mixed with water within the pipe to be cleaned and then adding water to promote and maintain the ensuing reaction and thereby disintegrate and liquefy the obstruction in said pipe.

4. A composition of matter consisting of aluminum, a hydroxid of an alkali metal, a fluorid and an oxygenated sulfur salt forming sulfuric acid when mixed with water.

5. A composition of matter consistin of aluminum mixed with a hydroxid o sulfur-salt forming sulfuric acid when mixed with water.

6. A composition of matter consisting of aluminum, a hydroxid of an alkali metal, a

fluorid, formaldehyde and an oxygenated sulfur salt forming sulfuric acid when mixed with water.

7. A composition of matter consistin of aluminum mixed with a hydroxid of an alkali metal, a fluorid, formaldehyde and an oxygenated sulfur salt forming sulfuric acid when mixed with water.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a mixture consisting of metallic aluminum, a hydroxid of an alkali metal, an oxygenated sulfur salt .of a fixed alkali, and a fluorid .of a fixed alkali.

-9. As a new article of manufacture, a mixture conslstlng of metallic aluminum, a

hydroxid of an alkali metal, an oxygenated sulfur salt of a fixed alkali, a fluorid or a fixed alkali, and formaldehyde.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a

my hand.

HENRY ANHALTZER. Witnesses an alkali metal, a fluorid and an oxygenated 

